We will explore various phenomena this year centered around the following topics using the Carolina Science platform.

• Unit 1: Structures and Properties of Matter - In a series of hands-on lessons, students gain experience with physical properties of matter, and see how these properties differ from chemical properties. Students examine, combine, separate, and evaluate mixtures and solutions of solid and liquid matter as well as manipulate materials to observe that, when matter is combined in mixtures and even appears to vanish in solutions, the amount of matter is conserved. Students will work to plan, build, test, and evaluate a system to separate the materials in a mixture.

• Unit 2: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems - Through hands-on activities, students discover how the nonliving factors necessary for life, such as energy, nutrients, and water, are constantly cycling through the environment. Students also explore the potential effects on all the organisms in an ecosystem caused by the removal of a single type of organism from that ecosystem. As a culmination, students will work to design a potential solution to limit the human impact on our environment/ecosystems that in turn add to climate change concerns.

• Unit 3: Earth and Space Systems - In a series of hands-on lessons, students gain experiences with modeling, scale, and cause-and-effect relationships to explore these interconnected systems and describe how the systems depend on and affect one another. To finish the unit, students will use their research skills to find more about how communities are using scientific ideas to help protect the environment and natural resources. They will combine their research with what they have learned throughout the unit about systems to create a public service announcement that conveys how the community they researched has used science to help the environment to include climate change concerns.

Students will participate in collaborative labs where they will investigate scientific phenomena, inspire curiosity, and develop solutions to real-world concerns centered around our environment!

Students can access the Carolina Science online text and digital simulations by navigating to the Carolina Science app through their Clever signon.